Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the two remaining Signpost cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 Kingdoms of this World

Did you know that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is about Jesus?

King Nebuchadnezzar had a very troubling dream. He saw a statue like the one on the signpost card. Point to the card.

Daniel said that the dream showed the king what would happen in the future. Daniel explained that each part of the statue represented different kingdoms. Do you remember what Daniel said would happen to each of those kingdoms? One day they would disappear, they would end.

Like all things in this world, earthly kingdoms will not last forever. Daniel described the different parts of the statue in the king’s dream.

You may hold up the Signpost card and point to the different parts as you speak.

1. The head was made of gold and represented Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
2. The chest and arms were made of silver and represented the Persians.
3. The waist to the knees was made of bronze and represented the Greeks.
4. The ankles and legs were made of iron and represented the Roman Empire. The Roman army was considered one of the strongest in history. Yet, it also would fall.
5. The feet and toes were a mixture of iron and clay. They represented the different kingdoms that tried to align together to be stronger and failed.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4-6

Daniel 2:19–21:

¹⁹ That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. ²⁰ He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for He has all wisdom and power. ²¹ He controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.”

Daniel 2:31–33:

³¹ “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. ³² The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, ³³ its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay.”

Signpost 2 God’s Spiritual Kingdom

During the time of these kingdoms, God would set up an eternal kingdom from heaven that will never fail! Daniel also prophesied about the Son of Man who would be given all power. Daniel said His rule would never end and His kingdom would never be destroyed. Do you know who the Son of Man is? Jesus.

Yes, Jesus is the Son of Man and the Son of God! He was born in the time of the Romans and He is the Son of Man who established the eternal kingdom. In the king’s dream what appeared and smashed the feet of the statue? A rock.

What did the rock become? A great mountain that covered the earth.

Jesus is the Rock! He is more powerful than any king and kingdom! Jesus’ kingdom is not a physical kingdom that you can see; it is a spiritual kingdom. Even though we can’t see God’s kingdom now, it is all around us. One day in the future God’s spiritual kingdom will become visible to everyone!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4-6

Daniel 7:13–14:

¹³ As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into His presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey Him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Daniel 2:34–35:

³⁴ As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. ³⁵ The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.

Luke 1:32–33: (Gabriel talking with Mary):

³² “He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. ³³ And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end!”

Matthew 21:44:

⁴⁴ “Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

Luke 17:20–21:

²⁰ One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. ²¹ You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”

Revelation 21:2–3:

² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them.”

Signpost 3 No Need to Wait!

The good news is that we don’t have to wait until we can see God’s kingdom with our physical eyes. We can be part of His kingdom now! How do you think we can join God’s kingdom? By believing in Jesus, putting our faith and trust in Jesus for our salvation, being born again.

That’s right! If you believe in your heart and declare that Jesus is Lord, you are a part of God’s kingdom today! When Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we can talk with Him any time and we can be confident He will listen and answer.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4-6

John 3:3,15:

³ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” ¹⁵ So that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

Romans 10:9:

⁹ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Now, let’s move on to the Discipleship Challenge and discuss the plan God has given us to do in His Spiritual Kingdom now!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model craft from Lesson 1. Give a Journal Scroll Pattern to any children who missed previous lessons so they can complete the craft at home.

Our challenge from last time was to read 1 Peter 4:10, which says God has given us spiritual gifts that we should use to serve others. Can you name a gift God has given you to serve others? Children answer.

Why do you think some people never use the gifts God has given them? They don’t realize they have them. Maybe they don’t have a desire to serve but have their own plans for their lives. They don’t desire to serve God and others.

Your new challenge is to pray daily and trust God to help you with His plan for your life—even when you may not understand it. Read and discuss Psalm 32:8 with your family if possible. Pray and thank God for His plan for you, and ask Him to help you trust Him no matter what happens, especially when you don’t understand. Write down any questions or things that God reveals to you in your scroll journal. Remember, we can always talk to God and He will listen and answer!

Optional: Daniel was actually a captive. He was taken away from his home and brought far away to Babylon to serve the king. Daniel and his three Hebrew friends could not have understood all that happened in their lives. Yet they were faithful to God and gained favor with Him and the Babylonian king!